Messi was sent off a few weeks before Argentina’s World Cup title defense after requesting a substitution while feeling a sore hamstring.
When Lionel Messi called for a substitution in the 72nd minute of Inter Miami’s Major League Soccer (MLS) game against the Philadelphia Union, football fans collectively held their breath as speculation mounted about the star forward’s participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
The 38-year-old, who has missed just one game for his club during the ongoing MLS season, left the pitch in the 73rd minute of the defending champions’ 6-4 home win on Sunday.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Argentina begins its World Cup campaign in three weeks, but Messi’s apparent fitness concerns could deal a serious blow to the team’s World Cup title defense.
Here’s what we know so far about Messi’s substitutions and fitness.
What happened to Messi in the Miami-Philadelphia game?
After recording two assists in the MLS champions’ last home game before the World Cup, Messi stood near the sideline at the pitch’s halfway mark with a third of the game remaining.
Feeling the sole of his left foot, he gestured to the Miami camp and requested him to come off the field.
Messi did not move around much and looked worried as he waited for the fourth official to set up a substitution board with the number 10 on his back.
The club captain was replaced in the 73rd minute by Matteo Silvetti, and as soon as he was sent off, Messi headed through the tunnel to the locker room. Cameras in the tunnel showed him slowly making his way into the tunnel, unassisted, in the presence of team medics.
Was Messi injured before the World Cup?
Although the Miami striker did not leave the field with a limp or show any noticeable signs of discomfort, his decision to request a substitution after playing 90 minutes in all MLS games last month raised concerns.
Furthermore, Messi did not choose to sit on the bench in Miami with his teammates, instead walking towards the locker room, spurring theories regarding his fitness.
What does Inter Miami say about Messi?
Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos said after the match that it was too early to say whether Messi was injured, suggesting the Argentine’s substitution was precautionary given the conditions on the pitch.
“As far as I know, the (medical) report on that hasn’t come out yet, but it will be coming soon,” Hoyos said after the game.
He chalked up Messi’s sending off to “fatigue” and the overall standard approach of not taking any risks.
Teammate Silvetti said he was equally clueless about Messi being sent off. “We’re hoping it’s nothing serious. Given his mindset and everything else, we wish him the best.”
The match recap on the MLS club’s social media accounts boasts of Luis Suarez’s hat-trick and birthday boy Rodrigo de Paul’s goal among other highlights, but makes no mention of Messi coming off the bench or the injury scare.
Messi has carefully managed his workload since joining Inter Miami in 2023, with team staff regularly excluding him from matches, especially during busy match periods.
He has spent multiple stints on the sideline in recent years with hamstring issues, which caused him to miss part of Miami’s preseason campaign earlier this year.
Will Messi play for Argentina at the World Cup?
Messi has said in the past that he would only play in the World Cup if he was healthy and fit. He has not officially announced plans to play, but is widely expected to return for what would be a record-tying sixth appearance in the competition.
Argentina’s squad is expected to be announced next week, with the South American giants heading to the United States soon after for a pre-World Cup friendly against Honduras in Texas on June 6th, followed by a match against Iceland on June 9th.
But a major injury to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would deal a huge blow to Argentina’s hopes of defending their World Cup crown. The match begins against Algeria on June 16th, followed by Austria on June 22nd and Jordan on June 27th.
Was this Messi’s last MLS match?
Potential injury or not, this was Messi’s last MLS game as the U.S. league enters a seven-week hiatus for players to prepare for international assignments.
Matches will resume on July 16, just three days before the World Cup final.
Can you identify all 48 teams participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Take the quiz here.
